The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-12-22
GARDEN OF EDEN LOCATED.
Bishop Keener Intimates that 1t Was in
South Carolina.

| In the latest issue of the Southern
Christian AdUocate. published in Col
umbia, S. c., the Rt Rev. j. C. Keen
er, d. D., of New Orleans, one of the
| Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal
| Church South, discusses the question
| of the site of the Garden of Eden, and
| advances some novel and ingenious
/ theories in favor of southern latitudes.
The Bishop says:
Now, suppose we bring Eden down
| South, say as far as Charleston, en-
bracing the coast between the Santee
and the Savannah, with its several
rivers and inlets, between the 30th
and 40th parallels of latitude. We
have for it this much to say:
| /. In and near the Cooper and the
| Ashley Rivers there is a vasr collec-
ton of the remains of the largest
| mammals, specially, of their molars
and vertebrR. These are remarka-
ble for their variety; very huge, very
many, and evidently of many distinct
species. We put this against all soli-
tary individuals as yet discovered in
| or near the Arctic regions.
2. Besides those remains, which,
from the amount of silica in them,
have resisted the action of time and
acids, there are phosphate masses in
which these molars are imbedded.
Probably the large bones returned to
| their original source. Then there are
scattered about small and large bowl
ders of the phosphate of lime, indica-
ing at a greater depth mine of min
eral.
3. This shows that these animals
| were not foated into this place by the
action of the currents, but were here
from the first, and found in the al
luyial plains around, and meadows
filled with dubious plants, and an ex-
uberant flora, their original habitat
Only a region supplying plants fed by
a heavy phosphate pabulum could sup
port creatures of such enormous bone
4. AS these several species multiplied
from a single pair, masses of their re-
| mains would most probably indicate
the place of their origin. Whether
Behemoth was made in Eden, we know
that he was reviewed there, and there
named by Adam. And the Almighty
says, speaking of Job: "Behold now
he eateth grass like an on"
These views, if correct, are still fur
ther strengthened by the building of
| the ark. As the race had not been
separated by dispersion or language,
it is to be supposed that Noah lived
not far from the original home of man.
The construction of vessel at that
time required the same conditions of
| material and shape now essential
in naval architecture. Indeed, the
dimensions of the ark are now those
Of iirst-class sea steamer for freight,
and are standard proportions in the
English Admiralty office. 1t was a
long, narrow vessel, evidently de-
signed for speed and a long voyage.
Had it only tsstart from given point
and float about for $50 days and then
ground at no great distance from the
point of departure, it would have
been shaped heavy and square
The timbers for such a vessel of
length of over 500 feet required tim
bers of continuous length and great
strength. The cypress was entirely
too brittle for the purpose Its keel
and ribs would require such wood az
the live oak, grown near the sea, used
to storms, and of a grain running
every way, bearing equally well a
strain from every direction. Large
quantities of pitch and tar would be
required for pitching it heavily within
and without. The word ''goher," "
means pitch" pine" and it is prob
able that the gopher wood was the
wood Of the long-leaf pine. l need
not say that either of the Carolinas
could have furnished the materials in
abundance.
That the ark was built somewhere
inland for convenience of timber is
| probable. Yet not very far, as the
principal weight of its cargo was to be
graminiYorous stock, and large quanti-
titles Of dried herbage, both of which
were to come from meadow lands.
The breaking up of the deep, ETC., at
the time of the deluge, would not i'm.
ply necessarily any very great change
in the conformation of the continents,
nor in the sea currents. 1t would
| presently strike the Gulf Stream.
Floating on that sea current it would
! take Il northerly direction until it
| reached the 40th parallel, and then
| would go due east, and as many a help
less craft since, would come within
sight of Spain and Africa. But those
coasts being submerged, there would
be nothing to detect the current, but
it would pass over the plateaus of
Spain, into the Mediterranean, across
the lower part OF Greece, then over
the plains of Asia Minor, and, still
holding the same parallel, strike Mount
Ararat. The distance from Charleston
to Mount Ararat is 151 degrees of lati-
tude, say S,5l5 miles. The time the
ark was on the water was $50 days or
$500 hours. Of Cape Hatteras the
| Gulf Stream has a velocity of two
| miles an hour; this would leave her
very little to be overcome, if anything,
when we allow for the uninterrupted
flow which the current then had.
1t is not Likely that animals would
be landed in any other than the lati-
tude to which they were accustomed.
They would determine the direction
of the ark. The pathway of the ark
under this supposition had blessing
in it. Between the 30th and 10th par
allels have sprung the great philoso-
| pliers, warriors, statesmen, and dis
| covers of the race. including the
Savior St Paul ST John and the